The present invention relates generally to warp knitted textile fabrics and methods of producing such fabrics. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel warp knitted loop-type textile fabric adapted for use as the loop component in a hook-and-loop type two-component fabric fastener, and a method by which such a fastener fabric may be produced on a warp knitting machine.
So called hook-and-loop fasteners have gained considerable popularity over recent years. Such fasteners basically include two generally flat components attachable and detachable to and from face abutting relation with one another. Typically, each fastener component is of a textile fabric construction, the hook or “male” component having a fabric ground layer with a plurality of relatively stiff hook-shaped or barb-like elements extending in upstanding relation from one face of the ground layer, and the loop or “female” component similarly having a fabric ground layer with a plurality of relatively flexible pile-type loops extending outwardly from one face of the ground layer. In use, the hook and loop faces of the fastener components grippingly engage one another when pressed together in face abutting relation by penetration of the hook-shaped elements of the hook component into the loops at the opposing face of the loop component. The engagement between the hook and loop faces of the two components resists separation thereof until a threshold force is exerted on one component in a peeling-like fashion.
In the past, it has been typical to fabricate both textile fabric components of conventional hook-and-loop fasteners of relatively heavyweight, stiff or otherwise dimensionally stable constructions, for various purposes including, among other things, withstanding repeated attachments and detachments so as to achieve a prolonged life of the fastener. Until recently, the components of such fastener fabrics have predominantly been produced in the form of a narrow-width tape of indeterminate length. However, as the potential uses and applications for hook-and-loop fasteners have grown and expanded, it has been proposed to produce one or both fastener components, often the loop component, in diverse other forms, e.g., of substantially greater width than the conventional tape-like form, and in less stiff and more pliable and drapable or formable textile fabric structures. For example, it has been recognized that some products which inherently must be elastically stretchable, e.g., athletic and medical wraps and bandaging, would benefit from the use of hook-and-loop fasteners. However, it is quite difficult to produce an elastically stretchable textile fabric in a loop-form suitable for use as the loop component of a hook-and-loop fastener. Like the majority of loop-type textile fastener fabrics, the raised loop character of stretchable forms of such fabrics is provided by napping one surface of a stretchable fabric, but disadvantageously it is difficult and expensive to perform a napping operation on a stretchable fabric and the results, particularly as to the uniformity of the loop height, are often inconsistent.